Driving mechanism for rotary braiders



March 6, 1934. F. AUTEM 1,949,854

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY BRAIDERS Filed March 2, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheetl fls i 55 50 INVENTOR Fred Auiem A TTORNEYS.

6', 1934. F. AUTEM DRIVING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY BRAIDERS Filed March 2,1932 2 Sheets-Sheet Z INVENTOR. Red Auiem A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mo. 6, 1934 I I I Fred Autem, Wyomissing, Pa.', assignor toTextile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa, a corporation e of PennsylvaniaApplication March 2, 1932', Serial No. 596,181

' 4 Claims. (01. 96-7) My invention relates to rotary braiding machinesand particularly to a device which is adapted to maintain continuousoperating connections betweena driving shaftand the carriers for one setof bobbins as they passover threads from bobbins of another set andwhich is operable to cause said carriers to traverse said threads with-,out contactbetweensaid connecting device and said threadsf a 1 1 0. Inthe drawings: 1/ p 1 Figure 1 is a plan "view, partly brokenflaway,showing bobbin carriers in a braidingmachine embody n the invention. I ia Figure 2 is a sectional viewon the line 2,--2 P'lj of Figure 1illustrating a connecting device according to my invention for one ofthe bobbin carriers; and a Y a 1 Figure 3 is a sectional elevation,taken substantially along the line- 33 of Fig.1, with cerparts omitted,of a portion of theqb'raiding machine. v f P w j I In the drawings thenumeral 10 designates a platform rotatably mounted on 'a'hollow standcard 11 and carryingaplurality of brackets 12 each of which supports oneof thebobbins 13 of the lower set. Suitable gearing, notshown, isprovided for effecting rotation of a member I 21' aboutstandard 11 inthe same direction as platform 1 and in unison therewith. a 230.; Thebobbins 22 of theupper set are mounted on individual carrier-s23 eachhaving a guide a rib 24'engaging a circumferential groove 25in avertical flange 26 on member 21 and a fibre con-.

tact block 27 provided with a groove 28 engaging aiguide rib 30 on aninwardly extending annular'flange 31 near the upper end of flange 26.Contact blocks2'7 bear against anti-friction rollers 32 which aremounted on flange 31 and serve as a raceway for the carriers. Flange 31is cut away at a plurality of circumferentially spaced points inalinement with slots 33 p'rovidedin the flange'26 for receiving threadsfrom the lower bobbins as carriers 23 for the upper bob bins 22 passthereover.

The'carriers 23 are driven on their raceway from 'ashaft 34 extendingthrough standard 11 and carrying a plate 35 supporting brackets 36 onwhichare mounted rotatable fliers 37 operable to maintain a continuousdriving connection between shaft 34 and carriers 23 while at the sametime permittingthe carriers to pass over a the threads from the lowerbobbins without severing them. I

Each flier 3'7 comprises a sleeve '38 havingoa pair of diametricallypositioned lugs or wings adjacent each end, the pair of lugs 40 at oneend of sleeve 38 being angularly disposed with respect to the lugs 41adjacent the other end thereof. The underside of contact block 27 isprovided with spaced notches 42 and 43 for receiv- F ing 2. lug 40 or41, respectively, to operatively connect the carrier 23 to shaft 34;Contact block 2'7 is provided with a rounded thread guiding edge 39 forpreventing threads from the lower bobbins being caught in the slots42and 4a. 9i

'Sleeve 38 is rotatably carried on a stud "4 9 mounted in a lug 44 onbracket 36 and is, provided with a bevel gear 45. In the arrangementshown the construction is simplified by providing a single bracket 36for each pair of carriervdriving fliers 3'7 and their bevel gears 45engagea single bevel gear 46. Bevel gear 46 is rotatable on a stud 47 onbracket 36 and is fixed to a pinion 48'wl'1ich meshes with a gear ring50 secured to and movable with member 21 for turning the fliers 3'1. ,5,

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the stud-47 also jour nals one end of each ofthestud's'49 for thepair ofsleeves 38'carried by bracket 36. The threads51 from the lower bobbins extend around suitable tensioning devices 52and through 9,

a sinuous braiding channel 53 between the ad: jacent edges of a pair offlxedcylindrical plates 54, one of which is mounted on a non-rotatablespider 17 mounted on standard .11. As the platform 10 and member 21 arerotated relatively to plates 54 the sinuous channel 53 causes eachthread'to be alternatelyraised from and deposited in the correspondingslot 33 in, member 21 to pass alternately over and under one or more 7of the bobbins 22 to the braiding point. Platform 10. and shaft 34 aredriven in opposite directions by suitable driving means (not shown)- sothat shaft 34 is operated to rotate thecarriers, 23 for bobbins 22 ontheir raceway about the 5 braiding point in the opposite direction tothe movement of the lower bobbins and the raceway member 21. Asa'carrier 23 for anupper bobbin 22 passes overa slot 33 in the flange 26of member 21 the rotation of the associated flier 37 causes loo adriving lug 40 to be rotated out of engagement with the notch 42 inblock 2'7 so that in the event a thread 51 lies in the slot 33 so as toextend under the carrier 23 to the braiding point it will not becontacted by the lug 40. At the same time a lug 41 at the other end ofthe flier sleeve is rotated into the notch 43 for maintaining thedriving connection between the shaft 34 and the carrier 23, it beingunderstood thatthe depth of notches 42 and 43 is such that lug 40 does 9As shown in the drawings, the peripheral length of. the engaging end ofa lug 40, 41 is desirably not substantially greater, and preferablyless, than the length of the notches 42, 43 so that a particular lugengages in the corresponding notch for only a small part of a revolutionof the flier. As a result, friction due to the faces of the lugsrotating in contactwith the walls of the notches is reduced. Further,becauseof the short intervals of engagement of the lugs it is notnecessary to effect a fine adjustment in the initial positions of thelugs relatively to the carrier notches to maintain proper timing withrespect to other machine parts in order to properly provide for passageof the lower bobbin threads; the short peripheral extent of the lugspermitting 'considerable latitude to provide ample clearance for threadpassage in the interval between engagemerits of lugs corresponding inaxial disposition on the flier.

it While the peripheral extent of the engaging end of the flier lugs ispreferably considerably less than the length of the carrier: notch orslot, as shown, whereby it is possible to provide a plurality of lugs ineach axial position, it might approach or slightly exceed the slotlength. How ever, in order to maintain ample clearance for passage oflower bobbin threads it is necessary that the gaps between thelugs'should not be undesirably small and therefore, the peripheralextent of the lugs; should not be substantially v greaterthan theirradial length.

The provision of a plurality of lugs at each axial position permits thepassage of 'several lower bobbin threads at each revolution of the flierrather than a single thread as in certain prior constructions.

driving connection may be reduced with a consequent reduction offriction and wear. The arrangement also permits the braider to beoperated at a more rapid rate and such increase of speed results ingreater production.

-As carrier 23 progresses over slot 33 the rotation of the flier 37moves the lug 41 from driving relation in slot 43 sothat it does notsever the thread 51, and the other lug at the opposite end of the fliersleeve enters the notch 42 to drive the carrier.

It is to be noted that, each upper bobbin carrier is continuously and.nninterruptedly connected to the driving shaft. therefor by its flierinasmuch as a lug atone or the other end of the. flier sleeve ispositioned in the corresponding notch of the carrier block when a lugatthe opposite end of theflier is rotated out of the corresponding notchto avoid contact with threads from the lower bobbins.

What I claim is:

L In'a braiding machine having bobbin carrier structure, driving meanstherefor comprising rotatable flier structure having a plurality ofcarrier engaging members arranged in pairs spaced axially along saidflier structure, the members of each pair being diametrically disposedwith respect to their axis andrelatively' narrow in width to providelarge oppositely disposed openings between the sides of the members,said As a result, the'rate of op-' eration of the flier to maintain acontinuous pairs of members being angularly disposed about said flierstructure so that the members are successively engaged with anddisengaged from said carrier structure to maintain a continuous drivingconnection between the carrier and flier structures while enabling athread to pass therebetween, and means for maintaining a continuousdriving connection with said flier structure for rotating the same.

2. In a braiding machine having bobbin carrier structure, driving meanstherefor compris ing rotatable flier structure having a plurality ofcarrier engaging members arranged in pairs spaced axially along saidflier structure, the members of each pair being diametricallydisposedwith respect to their axis and of such width that the angle of each ofthe two openings formed by the sides of the members of each pair is ofthe order of 180, said pairs of members being angularly disposed aboutsaid flier structure so that the members are successively engaged withand disengaged from said carrier structure to maintain a continuousdriving connection between the carrier and flier structures whileenabling a thread to pass therebetween, and means for main-- taining acontinuous driving connection with said flier structure for rotating thesame.

3. In a braiding machine having bobbin carrier structure with aplurality of slots therein, drive ing means therefor comprisingrotatable flier structure having a plurality of relatively narrow lugsarranged in pairs spaced axially along said flier structure, the lugs ofeach pair being diametrically disposed with respect to their axis toprovide large oppositely disposed openings between the'lugs, said pairsof lugs being angular-1y disposed approximately apart around .said flierstructure so that the lugs are successively engaged with and disengagedfrom their respective slots in said carrier structure ,to maintain acontinuous driving connection between the carrier and flier structureswhile enabling a thread to pass therebetween, and means for maintainingacontinuous driving connection with said flier structure for rotatingthe same.

4. In a braiding machine having bobbin car-, rier structure with aplurality of slots therein, driving means therefor comprising rotatableflier structure having a plurality of relatively narrow carrier engagingmembers'arranged in groupsof two only, said groups b'eingspacedaxiallyalong the flier structure and adapted to engage in said slots inthe bobbin carrier structure, the ,two members of each group extendingin opposite directions and substantially along astraight, line passingthrough the axis of the flier structure thereby to provide largeoppositely disposed openings between said members, the members of thesaid groups being angularly disposed about said flier structure so thatthe members are successively engaged with and disengaged from theirrespective slots in the carrier structure to maintain a continuousdriving connection between the carrier and flier structures whileenabling a thread to pass therebetween, and means for maintaining acontinuous driving connection with said flier structure for rotating thesame.

, FRED AUTEM.

